Cookie cravings can strike at any time, even if the temperatures outside are in the triple digits. If you want freshly baked cookies but don't like the idea of heating up the oven, reach for your non-stick skillet. Cookies are surprisingly easy to make on the stove, and they take a fraction of the time.

Of course, this tip isn't for someone who wants to make dozens of cookies, or who has a full-sized oven they don't mind using. Kelsey Banfield, writing at The Family Kitchen, explains she used to have a tiny oven with no space for a full cookie sheet, so she would make a half-dozen or so in her skillet. All you need to do is melt a little butter in a skillet, make your favorite cookie recipe, and then roll small balls of batter and drop them into the skillet on super-low heat. Flatten them with a spatula, cover them up for about five minutes, and you're all set. The key is keeping the heat nice and low and keeping the cookies covered.

Obviously the process will take a little trial and error so you don't burn the bottoms, but we have a trick for that, too. Best of all, you'll have a plate of hot, fresh cookies in no time at all.